Dose and timing of antibiotic therapy following intranasal infection with virulent <i>F. tularensis</i> ssp <i>tularensis</i> strain SchuS4.

<p>Groups of 5–10 C57Bl/6 mice were intranasally infected with 50 CFU SchuS4 in 25 µl. At the indicated time points after infection mice were injected intraperitoneally once daily with 40 (A) or 5 mg/kg (B) LVF diluted in 5% dextrose water. All mice were treated for 14 days. Thirty days after primary challenge all surviving animals (primary survivors) were re-challenged (secondary challenge) intranasally with 50 CFU SchuS4. * = p<0.05 compared to untreated controls and mice receiving antibiotic from day 3–16. ** = p<0.05 compared to untreated controls and mice receiving LVF on day 3. *** = p<0.05 compared untreated mice. Data in each graph is representative of 4 experiments of similar design.